The Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown: Serving the Mahoning Valley since 1874 (The History Press)

Pioneers in Ministry

When six Ursuline nuns stepped off a train in September 1874, they encountered a smoky industrial town still reeling from economic downturn. Yet, the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown went on to staff more than a dozen parochial schools, while organizing the city's first Catholic high school.

Over the next century, they compiled an extraordinary record of community service. When the Mahoning Valley's fortunes eroded in the wake of deindustrialization, the Ursulines gradually expanded their mission to address a host of new challenges.

Today, the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown are celebrated for their groundbreaking efforts to assist the urban poor, single mothers, and those suffering from HIV-AIDS. They remain more committed than ever to meeting the needs of the community, in the face of ever-changing social, political, economic, and religious circumstances.